Jesus is not God

08-01-2011, 06:21 PM

Jesus is not God

Christians believe that Jesus is a God on account of his ascent to Heaven, the miracles he performed, & because he is being named “the son of God” in Gospels. The truth is that he is but another Messenger of God as the Gospels themselves admit.
Ascent to Heaven:
The Gospels mention the ascent of Jesus in 2 locations:
1. “And it came to pass that while he blessed them (the disciples of Jesus), he was parted from them and carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51).
2. “Him hath God exalted with his right hand” (Acts 5:31).
But the Gospels admit that there were individuals other than Jesus who ascended to Heaven as well:
1. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).
2. “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (Kings II 2:11). Elijah here ascended alive to Heaven in a very impressive way. On the other hand, according to Gospels, Jesus was tortured & killed at the crucifix in a humiliating manner before his ascent!
3. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” Jude1:9. Clergymen explain this verse by saying that God sent the archangel Michael to Moses after his death to restore his life to him & then ascend him alive to heaven.
Miracles that Jesus performed:
**These were performed by Jesus in front of audience, but actually it was God who made him perform them; i.e. they were God’s miracles performed through Jesus.
1. Peter the head of the disciples said: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22).
2. “And he (Jesus) said: Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak and he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people” (Luke 7:14-16) Those who saw the dead arise at hands of Jesus were certain that this is but a miracle of God run through the hands of Jesus to corroborate him as a prophet of God. For that they glorified God, & not Jesus.
3. “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead (Lazarus) was laid; and Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth” (John 11: 41-44). Here Jesus is praying to God before performing the miracle of raising the dead. He clearly admits that God is the source of the miracle & that such miracle is but a form of support from God to him to strengthen his status as a prophet of God.
**Also, Gospels mention similar great miracles run on the hands of prophets & messengers who came before Jesus:
1. “And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived” (Kings I 17:21-22).
2. “And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet” (Kings II 13:21). Here is a far more miraculous event than raising the dead. When already dead & in his grave, touching the dead body of Elisha revived another dead person! Did anybody then assume that the dead body of Elisha is a God? Or is it more logic to assume that God is the One who puts to death & revives?
3. “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ez 37:1-10). This miracle of Ezekiel (covering dry bones with flesh & giving life to them to form a great army) is far greater than just rising one person from the dead.
4. The other miracles of Jesus were preceded by far greater miracles of the same type by other prophets. For example, Jesus calmed the high waves in the lake of Tiberius which is but a small lake; but Moses cleaved the whole Red Sea stopping its great waves & turning it into land for his people to cross. Likewise, but to a lesser degree, Elijah & Elisha did similar miracles when crossing the Jordan river turning the crossing into dry ground [“And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground” (Kings II 2:8)].
5. “And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty: If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven & consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty” (Kings II 1:10).
Jesus being called “The Son of God”:
**This title was endowed onto other prophets, & even onto whole nations.
1. “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel (Jacob) is my son, even my firstborn” (Exodus 4:22).
2. “Ye (children of Israel) are the children of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1).
3. “I (David) will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son” (Psalms 2:7).
4. “I will be his father, and he (Solomon) shall be my son” (Samuel II 7:14) “He (Solomon) shall build a house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father” (Chronicles I 22:10). This is a frank statement by the Lord that he is the father of Solomon & Solomon is his son. Such clear direct wording was not mentioned for Jesus.
5. “After this manner therefore pray ye (followers of Jesus): Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Mathew 6:9); “your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mat 6:14); “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12).
**The term “son of God” does not literary mean a biologic son from flesh & blood. It rather indicates that someone is characterized by sincere faith &piety that made God reward him & choose him to be put in His close proximity. This goes for all His prophets as well as for the most righteous of subjects:
1. “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,2 That the sons of God (meaning the pious ones) saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:1-3).
2. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Mat 5:9).
3. When comparing the scripture in 2 Gospels stating the same event (the moment Jesus died at the crucifix), we come across the fact that the term “son of God” is used as synonym to “righteous man”:
(a) “And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said: Truly this man was the Son of God”(Mark 15:39).
(b) “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying: Certainly this was a righteous man” (Luke 23: 46-47).
4. “I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God” (John 20:17). Jesus is explaining the first phrase by the second one: my Father = My God, & your Father = your God. He mentions himself first because he is the most pious of the subjects of the Lord at the time.
5. “That they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Here Jesus clearly declares that he is but a prophet sent by God & that there is one & only true God (not himself).
**Jesus could never be equal to God Who creates from nothing, Who gives & takes away lives, & Who knows all the unknown. Jesus proved to be ignorant of the unknown in several occasions; for example:
1. “And he (Jesus) said: Where have ye laid him (Lazarus)?” (John 11:34). Jesus did not know the place where Lazarus’s body was placed!
2. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32). Like all humans, the date of Resurrection Day is unknown to Jesus!
Conclusion:
Jesus is a human Messenger of God, as human as all the Messengers. His ascent to Heaven, miracles & title of being “the son of God” are all attributes that are common to many others. These would not justify him being a God. Islam acknowledges him as one of the close Messengers of God, same as Noah, Abraham, Moses & Muhammad. We believe in One God & in all his messengers. We pray to God 5 times a day, give out alms & fast the month of Ramadan. We are grateful to God that he guided us to the blessing of Islam.
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